1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas wiping device configured to suppress the adhesion of splashes on a steel band.
2. Description of the Background Art
Among the gas wiping devices configured to control the thickness of plating formed on a steel band by spraying gas thereon subjected to immersion in molten metal, a device equipped with a sealed box to prevent surface roughness of the steel band has been conventionally known.
Such a type of gas wiping device has been configured to house a steel band and gas wiping nozzles to spray gas in a sealed box, and regulate the concentration of oxygen in the sealed box within a predetermined range (e.g. within 1%), thereby enabling prevention of surface roughness on the steel band. However, the gas wiping devices equipped with such sealed boxes, as compared to those without sealed boxes, have caused a notable adhesion of splashes on steel bands, which has resulted in an increase in the number of splash-induced spots.
In order to suppress the adhesion of splashes on steel bands, the gas wiping device disclosed in e.g. Patent Document 1 includes: an enclosure housing a band-shaped body (steel band) and gas wiping nozzles, and having an exit for the band-shaped body; a pair of baffle plates arranged in the enclosure so as to face each other across the band-shaped body, and further so as to contact the lower end face of at least one of the gas wiping nozzles, and still further so as to divide and partition the enclosure into upper and lower spaces while leaving an opening of the enclosure for allowing the band-shaped body to pass therethrough, where the upper space has the gas wiping nozzles arranged therein; and wiping gas outlets communicating with the lower space of the enclosure and connected to vacuum and exhaust means.